Millions in grants, scholarships, and storm relief highlighted at 34th Legacy Foundation Annual Celebration

The community rallied together at the Indiana Welcome Center to celebrate the 34th Legacy Foundation Annual Celebration on Wednesday, September 16. Leaders and business professionals were treated to a program to highlight the recent work that the Legacy Foundation has done, along with hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment from Ev and Jay Entertainment and the Whiting High School Marching Band.

Matt Doyle, president and CEO of Methodist Hospitals, views Legacy Foundation as a glue of Lake County organizations working as a unit.

“This is the community foundation of Lake County – it touches every part of the community,” Doyle said. “The impact that Legacy Foundation has in terms of cooperation and collaboration between all of the local organizations is incredible.”

Jen Trowbridge, president and CEO of CoAction, looks forward to this annual opportunity to see people in local communities get rewarded for their contributions and meet new faces.

“Legacy Foundation has the right perspective and connections to pull something like this together. We’re a growing area, and it’s great to be involved in heavy, important work. Some of these organizations that are newer come here to build relationships, and that’s a really big draw.”

This was an atypical annual celebration for the Legacy Foundation, as plans in Lake County were changed following the derecho that swept through the Region on Tuesday, August 11.

“We had flexible resources, generous donors, and a community that was willing to respond when the need was urgent,” said Kelly Anoe, president and CEO of the Legacy Foundation.

For most of the year, Legacy Foundation focused on its strategic plan, stewarding permanent charitable resources, supporting public spaces, lifting up local journalism, and awarding grants and scholarships. Among these projects includes NWI Thrive, which is a $20 million regional initiative to connect people to the Indiana Dunes, South Shore Line, Marquette Greenway, local lakefront communities, and businesses and cultural places nearby.

“It will create discovery hubs and trailheads near the South Shore train stations, with public art, signage, kiosks, and clear wayfinding, so residents and visitors getting off the train know what we have to offer here in Northwest Indiana. It will build nine miles of trails and improve connections through communities, including Michigan City, Beverly Shores, Gary, and East Chicago through Community Heart and Soul in Munster and Cedar Lake,” Anoe said.

Love Where You Live is a $4 million investment in public spaces throughout Lake County. Legacy Foundation has received 55 applications requesting more than $47 million for this grant, with the pool narrowed down to 12 finalists. Winners are expected to be announced by the end of October.

“We’ve also committed an additional $1 million in grant funding to address growing community needs and fill funding gaps through our existing Transform Lake County grant cycles and resilience grants,” Anoe said.

Grant making remains at the heart of what Legacy Foundation does, and in 2025, the organization awarded $4.3 million in grants to support nonprofits. Donor generosity also helped Legacy Foundation award over 1.5 million scholarships to 232 students in 2025.

“Those students came from across Northwest Indiana, and their applications were reviewed with the help of dedicated volunteers who gave hundreds of hours to the process. For many students, that financial support makes a difference between going to college or not,” Anoe said.

Between the derecho on August 11, and a series of tornadoes in June, Legacy Foundation was uniquely positioned to play a role to provide a trusted place for the people of Lake County. More than 100 donations totaling over $40,000 helped make a difference with supplying food and supplies to Merrillville residents. Legacy Foundation worked for Catholic Charities, the Red Cross, Salvation Army, the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, United Way, Habitat for Humanity and other partners to create a coordinated response. This included help with insurance deductibles, rents and mortgage assistance, utilities, mold remediation, sump pump replacement, housing, food, case management, and other recovery needs.

“August 11 happened, and we redeployed the Lake County Disaster Relief Fund, which has not been used since COVID, and we began talking with local leaders to understand the greatest needs,” Anoe said. “In just days, we helped coordinate supply deliveries with Eli Lilly and Amazon to Calumet Township, Gary and Lake Station. We purchased generators for Highland, Munster, and Griffith, so communities had access to power and communication.”

Legacy Foundation also began managing the Gary Disaster Relief Fund. NIPSCO stepped forward with a $1 million donation for Lake County. More than 4,000 donations came in from all 50 states and nine countries, raising $4 million for disaster response and recovery.

A local volunteer service organization that had electricians among its members was another point of emphasis for the Legacy Foundation. With more than 400 applications in two days for a grant that would be made directly to the organization, Anoe called Trowbridge to manage this program. Today, these electricians have brought power back to 120 Gary homes, and recently expanded to additional Lake County communities.

“We had a lot of people that were out of basic necessities for a considerable amount of time, and some that we are still working on. Legacy Foundation has been critical and crucial to being a solution and repair component for the disaster that happened last month,” Trowbridge said. “They had new organizations that they never even thought were out there who said, ‘Hey, how can we help?’ Kelly and her team were creation and solution-focused to put millions of dollars back into local communities to help them stabilize after such a devastating experience.”

This celebration was altered by the recent storms, but it still served as a reflection of individuals and organizations who made a difference over the past year as a member or supporter of the Legacy Foundation.

Erica Fizer Katsepas, vice president of philanthropy for Legacy Foundation, joined Anoe and Doyle in presenting the Heart of Lake County Awards. Nancy Clifford, interim president and CEO of Lakeshore Public Media, received the Excellence in Nonprofit Board Leadership Award. Dave Austgen, founding senior and managing partner of Austgen Kuiper Jasaitis P.C., was presented with the Gold Key Award. The Corporate Philanthropy Award was presented to Horizon Bank. Lastly, the Community Spirit Award was given to Gloria Morris, co-owner of Great Lakes Sports Hub. The award presentation also recognized Luke Buksa for his commitment to restoring power to the community.

While the Legacy Foundation Annual Celebration is a time to honor the strides that the community has been able to make, the organization continues to look ahead at what can come of this commitment to collaboration.

“We are building positive partnerships, opening doors to opportunity, and ensuring that Lake County remains a vibrant, thriving place where families, businesses, and neighborhoods flourish. I could not be more excited about where we are heading next, and I am deeply proud to stand with everyone in support of Legacy Foundation’s mission,” said Dr. Sean Egan, board chair of Legacy Foundation.

To learn more about the Legacy Foundation, you can visit legacyfdn.org.